Breathtakingly raw and fresh, just like adolescence itself.
Discovering yourself takes time.
Volbeda’s translated debut, which was named the Rainbow Book of the Year in its original Netherlands, unfolds in epistolary format as teenager Jip writes unsent letters to an unnamed classmate (and crush), discussing life, family matters, and general frustrations around an uncompleted art assignment to draw a self-portrait over spring break. Jip loves and has a talent for drawing, making it surprising that this project should be a struggle. Throughout most of the book, Jip’s gender is unspecified, but clues appear, conveying coded messages that supply contextual information, such as a reference to a forebear named Jipernicus, the opinion other kids in gym class have about Jip’s grooming habits, and Jip’s choice to wear a hoodie and baseball cap even though it’s warm out. As the novel progresses, readers slowly learn about the gender Jip’s peers and family members assume to be correct. Ultimately, the letters help Jip to realize the truth and thus to draw an accurate and affirming self-portrait. The story’s meandering narrative is authentic, both in its stream-of-consciousness delivery and in the ways Jip’s self-discovery unfolds. Glimpses of subplots, such as Jip’s grandmother’s cognitive decline and Jip’s parents’ turbulent marriage, are naturally woven in; these open-ended vignettes further enhance the realism and beauty of Jip’s world and journey. Volbeda’s exquisitely delicate sketches, executed with fineliners and mechanical pencils, are sprinkled throughout, adding texture.
Breathtakingly raw and fresh, just like adolescence itself. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781646145775
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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